I almost always prefer the Japanese version, but I think the English dub with Bruce music for DBZ anime was good.
I actually agree with you.
I can only speak for myself, but for me, preferring the original Dragon Ball over its American counterpart has nothing intrinsically to do with it being Japanese. There are enormous differences between the two and, simply put, I just like the Japanese version better. Better voice acting. Better musical score. Better dialogue and storytelling. And so on and so forth. The American version reduces everything I like about Dragon Ball to the level of G.I. Joe or Ninja Turtles. (Or Street Fighter on USAâs Action Extreme Team.)
If the two versions were essentially the same, with language being the only difference, then yeah, you could make the case that Iâm just being a sweaty, fat-tittied, âHello Kittyâ t-shirt wearing, Funyon-chomping Japanophile.
i think thats what im goin to do when i get my 160 gig ps3 because it plays region free
i completely agree with you and feel the same way
10 years ago I mightâve followed Shadeâs advice and picked up the Japanese version of Super DBZ (I certainly picked up Legends, which was unavailable here in the States). At this point, though, my enthusiasm for a good Dragon Ball fighter has dimmed too much. Iâm just not excited about it anymore.
If I ever get the hankering for it, I guess I can always play with the sound turned down.
Hassen ijou da! crushes scouter
I actually liked some parts of the original Ocean Group dub. The censoring was horrible, yes, but aside from that I didnât think it was that bad. And I loved Brain Drummond as Vegeta and Scott McNeil as Piccolo, I think they are (gasp!) better than the original Japanese VAâs for those characters.
When Funi took over the show the censoring got a lot better but everything else took a turn for the worse.
Honestly, DBZ is about the ONLY thing I get really Japanophile about. Aside from DBZ, if I watch an anime, I watch the dubbed version. And I canât stand most anime. Hell, I never even would think of referring to the psycho dictator from SF2 as Vega, nor would I ever refer to Megaman as Rockman. Itâs just that the DBZ dub is some olâ bullshit. Sure, it got better and the original DB dub isnât bad, but I just canât shake the feeling that the dubbers were just missing the point when it came to DBZ.
I agree with everything stated, esp. Brain Drummond as Vegeta and Scott McNeil as Piccolo being better and highly emotive. Ironically, Piccoloâs Japanese voice still feels familiar, but Gokuâs voice, most notably during combat, was just painfully effeminate to me. I, as a fan, cannot be blind to to gawdawful KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAMEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! </nails on chalkboard> Shitâs just horrid and ruins the experience, since, Goku is the central character.
Japanese Goku was loud as a bitch as he was getting his shit stomped on by Oozaru VegetaâŚA friend of mine had linked some of the japanese episodes to me that were on youtube and I watched the goku vs vegeta fight in japanese. I think the comp went from .9 decibels to 10.
You too, white shadow? And You also Sonichuman? Man, I thought I was the only one who couldnât stand it when Goku was screaming his signature move in Japanese. Stuff makes my ears bleed. I donât care if Toriyama-san did hand pick the voice actorâs. When Goku startâs screaming, to me, it sounds horrendous.
I know Iâve said it a million times by now, but regarding Japanese GokuâŚyou would have had to watched the series from Dragonball to understand and accept the voice.
The major thing about Gokuâs character is that he never changed. The Goku you meet in DB#1 is more or less the same Goku you see at the end of DBZ. His body (and power level) just got bigger, thatâs all. So keeping the voice he had as a kid was natural. I donât think the fans would have had it any other way.
Itâs like, if the Simpsons were to grow up Bart Simpson, and replace Nancy Cartwright with James Earl Jones for his voice, Iâm sure thereâd be people unhappy with that. Theyâd say that Nancy IS Bart. Its the same thing for Masako Nozawa and Goku.
I didnât mind the voices in DBZ dub, the voices fit the characters. The translation however is another story. What the HFIL?
Bulma sounded like Bulma, ditzy during earlier sagas and more mature after Trunks is born.
Chi-Chi sounded like a nagging bitch.
Herculeâs voice fit his character.
Krillin sounded like he didnât have a nose.
Oolong sounded like a pig.
Future Trunks was good.
Roshi sounded like a pervert.
When I think of King Kai, I think of his English voice over his Japanese one. Iâve watched every episode of DBZ in Japanese and English, back when subbed episodes were in real media format.
Ocean dub Goku sounds like Cheetor from Beast Wars and Beast Wars was an awesome show, transmutated Dragon Megatron is the shit.
Some voices I didnât like from the dub:
First form Cell, they made him sound like an insect.
Fat Buu, sounds retarded.
Yamcha, surfer voice fits Michelangelo, not so much desert bandit.
Android 19, too robotic.
and of course all forms of Freeza, whom the dub turned into a tranny. Actually Freeza reminds me of Rita Repulsa from Power Rangers.
Fortunately, Bart never grows up, but Goku on the hand had his saiyan dragonballs drop decades ago. I grew up with English, Spanish (Telemundo was waaaay ahead in syndication) and Japanese voices, but Japanese adult Goku always irked me.
I donât even think kid Goku had such an ear shattering voice in Dragonball, at least, it didnât bother me.
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pr0n 
Theyâve featured adult Bart in a couple of episodes with exactly the same voice, and it worked. Itâs just appropriate for his character. For Goku, his child voice works exactly the same way, except moreso, because he is essentially a child in a grown manâs body.
american > japan
thus, american dbz > japanese dbz
kthxbai
oh i donât think so!
You can think what you want, but you are still wrong.
America.
Lol I used to always watch the Telemundo version lol.
But I agree Japanese adult Gokuâs voice is annoying as hell, everyone else is okay but I prefer the english version of DBZ (Funimation to be exact).
About Scott Mcneil and Brian Drummond, they were good as Piccolo and Vegeta
especially Drummond, I was first introduced to his VA and he made Vegeta cocky as hell but I kind prefer ummmâŚChris Sabat overrall. The Funimation and OG voice acting is really similar though I didnt even notice a difference until I watched Trunks saga on youtub and the OG made his voice sound like crap.